King, the current chief deputy in York County, said his win is a “vote of confidence” in the department and the current administration.

“I am very pleased that the voters researched the candidates and I think they made the right decision,” he said.

King received 49.25 percent of the vote, while Lajoie received 27 percent and Main received 23 percent of the roughly 8,000 votes cast countywide.

Lajoie, 58, won several communities around South Berwick. However, King and Main attracted more votes in the northern and coastal parts of the county where most residents live.

Lajoie said he’s “disappointed (he) can’t bring the positive change to the county that’s needed. However, I have a fine job and a community that I love, and I look forward to continue serving South Berwick,” he said Wednesday.

King, 60, has a diverse law enforcement background that began decades ago with the Portland Police Department. He later worked for the Central Intelligence Agency as a polygraph expert and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General.

King joined the York County Sheriff’s Office in 2010 and was named chief deputy in 2013. He was endorsed by Ouellette.

No Republicans are running. The filing deadline to appear on the Nov. 4 ballot has already passed, according to Julie Flynn, a deputy Maine Secretary of State in charge of elections.

She said a write-in candidate has until 45 days before the election to file.

King said he’s going to wait and see if a challenger emerges to determine how vigorously he’ll campaign in the fall. However, he still plans to maintain a presence leading up to Election Day.

“I certainly don’t take anything for granted,” he said, “and I am going to stay very focused and keep doing what I have been doing.”